TOXIC No.315 is out now!

Despite the metallic red and green foil cover colours, the latest Toxic magazine is decidedly unfestive. Even so, it's another fun issue that would make a good stocking stuffer. For £4.99 readers get Toxic No.315, plus an additional 32 page Fortnite magazine, and a bunch of gifts.

Inside Toxic's 40 pages there are bright and breezy features on the latest movies and games for kids, plus puzzles, pin-ups, and of course the comic strips! 

This time, Team Toxic (written and drawn by me) continues from the previous issue where we left them powerless, and now three of their most persistent baddies turn up to take over the city! How can they be stopped? Find out in Toxic No.315, out now from newsagents and supermarkets all over the UK!

If you want to subscribe to Toxic, or buy individual issues by post, you can do it by visiting this link:

https://www.newsstand.co.uk/108-Primary-Boys-Magazines/2496-Subscribe-to-TOXIC-Magazine-Subscription.aspx

TOXIC gets a new look

The latest issue of Egmont's long-running successful boys' magazine Toxic has had a design makeover. The refresh sees the introduction of a tweaked logo, new layout, and a bigger page size. (Bit of trivia for collectors: Toxic is now the same dimensions that Oink! and Wham! used to be.)

The strips also get a new look, with new logo designs and colour in the gutters and margins to make the pages brighter than before. This month, Team Toxic face the return of their old enemy Sick Squid! Story and art by Lew Stringer. (Hey, that's me!)

Captain Gross finds it's tough to be the grossest hero in town. Story and art by Russ Carvell...

Features in this 40 page issue include articles on the movies Black Panther, Thor: Ragnarok, and Coco, an interview with Chris MD, space exploration, items on the Teen Titans Go! cartoon, the latest games, and more.

The mag comes bagged with four free gifts: Disc Shooter, bonus shooter, Last Jedi stickers, and Tango Poppin' Candy.

Toxic No.302 is out now from all good newsagents and supermarkets. £3.99

Visit the Toxic website for more info:
http://www.toxicmag.co.uk

TOXIC reaches issue 300 today!

These days, it's rare for a children's magazine to have such longevity, but Egmont's Toxic magazine for boys has just reached a milestone of 300 issues. The magazine began publication in September 2002, and is published every three weeks (it was originally monthly) so a run of just over 15 years (and counting) is very impressive for a contemporary publication. A top selling publication for its target audience, Toxic has spawned several rival imitators over the years. Even the legendary Dandy had a makeover at one point, as Dandy Xtreme, in an less than successful bid to try and capture the magic. 

Originally edited by Matt Yeo, then Andy Davidson, Frank Tennyson, and Simon Ward, Toxic's current editor is Paul Lang with Matthew Pratt as his Deputy Editor. Contributing artists and writers over the years have included Laura Howell, John Short, Alex Paterson, Jasper Bark, Paul Palmer, Nigel Kitching and Jamie Smart. The premise of Toxic is to provide its young readers with breezy news and features on the latest movies, toys, games and suchlike, with a strong sense of fun and irreverence. 

"Gross" humour abounds, particularly in the comic strips. Team Toxic has been in the mag since the very first issue, with its core characters Doc Shock, Bog, Sludge, Kid Zombie, and Krunk initially created by Matt Yeo and original artist John Rushby. I was invited to script the comedy adventures of Team Toxic from issue one, and also became the artist from issue 15 when John left the strip. I've been writing and drawing it ever since. The Team protect the city from numerous bizarre villains that I've created, such as Sick Squid, Frankendrac, Techno Troll, Antimatter Hari, and Butt-Face. The solutions usually involve the aforementioned "gross humour" such as Bog unleashing a mighty fart or Kid Zombie bowling the villains over with his detachable head. The style of humour, with monsters, crazy villains, and cringe-inducing puns, is similar in style to my old Combat Colin strips, but with more jokes about bodily functions. It's been a pleasure to write and draw Team Toxic for all these years, and long may it continue. 

The latest Team Toxic story, Birthday Bash, sees Butt-Face and Sand-Witch steal the Toxic collection from comics critic Grumpy McGrumpyface, which interrupts the Team having a slap-up feed to celebrate the magazine's 300th milestone. 

Also in this issue, stinky superhero Captain Gross, by Russ Carvell, who has also worked for the magazine for years, plus Ruined Ronaldo, drawn by Steve McGarry. 

Apart from the Team Toxic strip, the magazine doesn't make a fuss about the 300th issue, focusing instead on features on superhero movies, Star Wars, a Thor Ragnarok pull-out poster, and puzzles.

As is expected of kids' magazines these days, Toxic comes bagged with a mixture of toys, cards and stickers. Here's what to look for in the shops...

Toxic No.300 is on sale now from newsagents and supermarkets. £3.99 

The Christmas TOXIC

The Christmas issue of Toxic is published today, and you'll find it in a shiny foil bag in newsagents and supermarkets all over the UK. This festive issue comes complete with several gifts including a blaster and powder to make your own green slime. 

The magazine itself has 40 full colour pages packed with features, activity pages, and strips.

The long-running Team Toxic, written and drawn by myself, is entitled Green Christmas and features the debut of Grumpy McGrumpychops, Comics Critic...

The villain of the story is Mister Nostril, using his never-ending runny nose to create bogie snowflakes! Can Team Toxic stop him? 

The other two page strip is Captain Gross by Russ Carvell, with the stinky superhero visiting the North Pole, and there's also the Ruined Ronaldo strip drawn by Steve McGarry, plus fun features on Greatest Minions Moments, When Animals Celebrate Christmas, Thor Ragnarok, and more...

Toxic No.298 is on sale from today until 19th December and costs £4.99.
http://www.toxicmag.co.uk

The Christmas TOXIC is here

It's a very festive foil bag for Toxic magazine this week as it contains the Christmas issue. There are a few festive features inside, although unfortunately I didn't know this was going to be the Christmas issue so my Team Toxic story contains not a flake of snow or one sprig of holly. (But I hope you'll enjoy it anyway!) In fairness, the other strips in the issue don't have a seasonal flavour either, so perhaps we were all unprepared this year.

However, the strip in the following issue (which will be on sale 21st December) will have a Christmas and New Year theme, so I'll show you a preview of that at a later date. 

Back to the current issue, which, along with a 40 page Toxic mag, contains no less than six gifts including two "Battle Blasters" and trading cards for Marvel and Minecraft. 

Toxic No.281, out now from Egmont UK. £4.99

Bag yourself a comic

It amazes me that anyone can find some kids magazines/comics when most of them are bagged with bulky gifts and crammed into a display area far too small. Thankfully many people do make the effort, and Toxic is still selling very well (see here) at around 55,000 copies an issue (more than most American comics). Here's a preview of my strip from the latest issue, out today...

Also out this week is the issue of Marvel Fact Files that spotlights Marvel UK. Amongst the various features is an article I wrote on the history of Marvel in Britain. In case you missed it, I blogged about it in more detail here (where you can read a few pages for free):
http://lewstringer.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/marvel-uk-back-in-spotlight.html 

TOXIC 266 preview

I have a load of pages to draw over the next several days so updates to this blog may be few and far between. Meanwhile, here's an advance preview of a panel from my Team Toxic strip for the next edition of Toxic (issue No.266). It'll be in the shops on Wednesday 20th January. The Team encounter a brand new bad guy, and it's not going well for them as you can see! 

The Christmas TOXIC - Out now!

In newsagents and supermarkets today is the festive edition of the top-selling boys' magazine Toxic in a special foil bag. Inside, you'll find a bunch of free gifts and the 40 page full colour Toxic mag.

Like every year, I couldn't resist doing a seasonal episode of my strip so you'll find Christmas with Team Toxic on pages 6 and 7. The Team are shocked to find that Christmas dinners are banned, which brings in this new character I've created for a cameo appearance, - Curly Hector, Comic Collector! 

Also in this issue is a two page non-Christmassy Captain Gross by Russ Carvell...

...and another Ruined Ronaldo strip. (I'm afraid I don't know who draws this.)

There's also a stack of features of course, including previews of the new Lego Star Wars toys and Avengers game, various puzzles, and more. 

Toxic No.264, out now for £3.99.

Support UK comics!

There's often a bit of negativity on the 'net about the British comics industry and how things were so much better in the old days. Well, the same could be said about the UK film industry, or its television output, or its music, or car industries.... You get the point. Yes, lots of things were more popular and plentiful years ago but that's no excuse to ignore what's happening now. We live in the present, not the past, so let's celebrate what we have, not run it down or dismiss it. Being snarky about comics does no one any good. You're not keen on some modern comics? Okay, then focus on the current ones you do like and tell people about those, to do something to support the industry. (Same applies to fans of US comics by the way.) 

Truth is, there's still a lot of good comics material being produced in Britain, from mainstream and independent publishers as I covered here a few weeks ago. The evidence is out there but that doesn't seem to stop the moaning minnies claiming otherwise. I can appreciate that people have a preference for the comics of their youth. We all feel that, but time moves on, and there's no more likelihood of something like Valiant returning than there is of Ally Sloper's Half Holiday making a comeback. The future of British comics is in the hands of existing professionals and fresh new talent. 

Anyway, I for one am pleased that British comics are still around, which leads me to a cheeky plug for the latest issue of Toxic magazine, out today. Yes, it's a magazine, but it does feature some comic strips, including my regular two pages of Team Toxic. This issue they go underground to discover the Troll Town and encounter a giant robot ant (see image above). This is what I've always loved about my 32 years in British comics; the pure daftness of what we can put into our stories. Long may it continue! 

Toxic magazine is published by Egmont and is available in newsagents and supermarkets. 

Bog-Man! A new hero for our times

The latest issue of Egmont's Toxic, out now, features something a bit different from me; a story within a story. In the Team Toxic strip Stinky Hero, Bog is knocked out and dreams of being a superhero, - Bog-Man! 

Superheroes are very popular with kids these days thanks to blockbuster movies and games (and comics of course) so I thought I'd reflect that with this Batman parody. As this is Toxic you can expect lavatorial humour of course, particularly with Bog-Man and his sidekick Trumpy riding their Bog-Mobile! (Some of you may notice a certain old character of mine making a cameo appearance here too. Yes, it was inevitable that Tom Thug would become a white van man!)

See billionaire Bog Strain become Bog-Man to fight The Stinker, The Poopin, and Cat-Litter Woman! 

The two page strip appears in Toxic No.251, out today, which also includes various features for kids on superhero movies and games plus Russ Carvell's Captain Gross strip. All bagged up with a bunch of gifts for just £2.99. 

http://www.toxicmag.co.uk/

TOXIC 250!

Today sees the publication of the 250th issue of Egmont's Toxic magazine. That's quite an achievement these days for a children's publication. In fact it's pretty good for any era, considering how some comics of the 1970s only lasted for six months or so.

Launched in September 2002, Toxic set out to be a magazine filled with the sort of things that would appeal to boys of a 7 to 11 age group; bright and breezy features on new games, movies, sport, toys, etc. and a cheeky edge of 'gross' humour. It soon proved to be a success and has inspired several rival publications to follow its approach.

I've been writing the Team Toxic comic strip in the magazine since issue 1, and also drawing it since issue 14. (You can read more about the strip's origins here.) The five team members (Doc Shock, Kid Zombie, Sludge, Krunk, and Bog) were co-created by the mag's first editor Matt Yeo and artist John Rushby. Over the years the Team have faced numerous bad guys I've created such as Butt-Face, Frankendrac, Sick Squid, and Sand-Witch. 

Issue 250 sees the Team accused of attacking the Mayor, and the return of one of their oldest enemies. 

Although the majority of Toxic's 40 plus pages are feature-based, there have been various other comic strips in the mag over the last 13 years, including work by John Short and Laura Howell. Currently, Captain Gross by Russ Carvell is enjoying a long run. 

Toxic No.250 is out now, bagged with a variety of gifts for £3.99. Available from major retailers and newsagents. 
http://www.toxicmag.co.uk/

The first TOXIC Annual!

Although Egmont have been publishing Toxic magazine since 2002 the popular title has never had an annual devoted to it... until now. Toxic Annual 2015 has just been released so here's a brief preview of the contents.

I've been writing the Team Toxic strip since issue No.1 of Toxic, and drawing it since issue 14 or 15 so I was pleased to be asked to contribute a double length TT story for the annual. Double Trouble sees the return of one of the Team's long established bad guys, Techno Troll, who creates a Bogeyman out of discarded bogies. Can Team Toxic stop it from destroying the city? Probably, but then another enemy turns up!

There's also a double helping of Captain Gross strips by Russ Carvell, featuring the stinkiest superhero this side of Red Sonja...

Towards the back of the book there's a reprint of a Team Toxic strip I did a few years ago, - Stinky End! The Team have retired to a village of piped blazers and straw boaters... or have they? Fans of The Prisoner classic TV series might like a few of the touches in this. 

The majority of the annual is comprised of short snappy features and puzzles, mostly related to popular brands for children such as Skylanders, Pokémon, Lego, Super Mario and suchlike. The brief editorial at the front of the book tells us they've "gathered the best moments" from the magazine so I think most of the features are reprints. 

The book is very slim at 72 pages including covers, but 10 of those pages are comic strips so hopefully it'll appeal to some readers of this blog. The target age group for the annual is 5 plus, and I think it'd certainly be a very entertaining book for children of all ages. 

Toxic Annual 2015. Hardback, 72 pages. RRP £7.99. Published by Egmont. Available from booksellers and online. 
ISBN 978-1-4052-7211-7